
MAR seafood restaurant opens tonight at 314 E. Howard Ave. in Decatur. Featuring tables made of wood reclaimed from a nearly 100-year-old house and a summery patio, it's a place to down tons of tequilas while noshing on Mexi-coastal cuisine such as pickled oysters, chile-rubbed shrimp, and grilled serrano peppers from chef Joey Zelinka.
In case you missed it, Aurora Coffee closed its longstanding Virginia-Highland location at 992 North Highland Ave., which had been frequented by neighborhood regulars and coffee snobs alike since its inception in 1992. In a symbolic gesture of woe betide support, one patron chained himself to a post on the patio this past Saturday. Read the full story here.
We first announced on May 6 that Victory Sandwich Bar's original, Inman Park location at 280 Elizabeth St. would shutter in July, to make way for a shiny new mixed-used development. But it isn't going far. It seems Victory has signed a lease just up the road at 913 Bernina Ave., and will move into the spot currently occupied by Park's Edge in September. An insider assures us that the latter restaurant does not plan to go out of business, but is hunting for a new location.
The winning feature is the wide ribbon of chicmichurri that courses over the medium-rare slices of grilled steak. Unlike the many loser versions of chimichurri in this city, the Graveyard's hits a perfect balance - not overdoing the garlic and not turning the parsley into a medicinal astringent, thanks in part, I think, to a particularly fruity olive oil. It's all wrapped up with creamy mashed potatoes and goat cheese and a fan of crunchy green beans spiked with garlic.
It's a bargain at $13. However, the plating is purty but lonely. That is to say, it may not fill you up without an appetizer or a quick trip down the road afterward to Morelli's.

Wine dinner? Beer Tasting? Cooking Class? Let us know. Create a CL account and submit your Food and Drink happs here.
Fri., May 24
Lobby at Twelve Fri., May 24, 7-9 p.m. Seafood cooking class Join Chef Russell Hays in Lobby's private cellar space and learn about buying, butchering, storing and cooking seafood correctly. Includes wine pairings with each dish. Details
South City Kitchen Fri., May 24 and Sat., May 25 Michael Feinstein Dinner and Show Join South City Kitchen for a three course prix fixe dinner, followed by a concert by Michael Feinstein at the Atlanta Symphony Hall at 8 p.m. Reservations will be for 5:30, 6, or 6:30 p.m. Details
Amura Fri., May 24- Sun., May 26, 10 p.m. Sushi and Jazz This Memorial Day weekend, treat yourself to a jazz experience from legendary Chicago jazz club, Close Up 2 and the Atlanta Jazz Festival. Details

Don't take your fried chicken for granted. I mean, at least you don't have to get it smuggled through underground tunnels.
"Iron Chef America"... Coming to a freezer near you. Advocating for fresh ingredients and cooking, one frozen dinner at a time. Allez cuisine!
Douglas Tirola's documentary, Hey Bartender, moves to the big screen,"the story of the bartender in the era of the craft cocktail."
Chef Chris Cosentino has teamed up with a clothes company to create a food-inspired line called Gluttony Pants. Next on to chef pants, meat socks, and butcher briefs?
Corner Tavern in Little Five Points caught fire Thursday afternoon. The building, located at the corner of Moreland and Euclid avenues, has been "heavily damaged," though no word yet on how the fire began. One bystander reports traffic in the area was at a standstill in all directions as firefighters responded on the scene. CL reached out to Atlanta Fire and Rescue for details. We'll update you if we hear back.
Please go to another Tavern and drink our blues away.... fb.me/1c1EFzENp
- L5 Corner Tavern (@L5CornerTavern) May 23, 2013
More photos from Little Five Points after the jump.
Last week, the NTSB issued a recommendation for states to lower the legal blood alcohol content (BAC) level for drivers from 0.08 to 0.05. (It took 21 years for the states to lower the BAC from 0.10 to 0.08 following the NTSB's recommendation in 1982.) The NTSB argues that at a BAC level of 0.05 drivers can begin to have difficulties with visual functions, and at 0.07, cognitive abilities are affected.
While the NTSB's intent is to decrease the number of drunk driving fatalities, some fear this change may harm local businesses.

The space is beautifully spare, with charcoal black, charred cypress walls accented by blonde wood behind the sushi bar. A nice bar and reception area greats you first, with cut-out windows facing into the main dining room and across to the large sushi bar.
A night two meal proved that Umi has plenty of promise. The hamachi sashimi was the best I've had in a looong time. The spicy tuna tartare was artfully presented, with a beautiful little quail egg as accompaniment. Maki, teriyaki (for my daughter), the now ubiquitous black cod with miso, green tea ice cream with red bean paste - all turned out great. Friendly service helped counterbalance some slow dishes from the kitchen. Hey, it's night two, no worries. Chef Fuyuhiko Ito, formerly of MF Buckhead, even stopped by to chat and make sure we were happy. We were, and Ito seemed thrilled to be back behind the sushi counter again, taking care of guests.
After the break, a couple photos to put you in the mood for Umi...
We used to eat there pretty frequently. At one point an old friend was among the owners. It was up, down, up, closed for a while, then open again. Meantime, we gravitated to neighboring Noni's.
The P'cheen peeps have improved the look of the space, actually reducing the size of the dining room by maybe a third, creating a more intimate space. While the restaurant was mainly deserted, Thursday night's visit was a bunch of fun.
You may have already read about this, but here's a reminder. The bar has disappeared, or at least at first glance. During our meal we watched two guys pull what looked like a huge door near the restrooms open and disappear. Curious, to say the least, Wayne ran over to check things out and found book shelves (left photo). As he stood there frowning, the bookcase suddenly swung open and someone walked through. Yep, the old bar, remodeled and dubbed the Edgewood Speakeasy, is hidden behind the shelves. There are a few other speakeasy-type bars around town, but to a non-drinker like me, this was a novelty. Word is that the place can get way loud when DJs take over the room.
The rest of the restaurant is generally on the quirky side. After we took our seats, we were...ignored for five or more minutes. Finally, I walked over to the open kitchen and asked what the deal was. The chef apologized, took our drink orders, and pointed at a guy on the phone at the check-in area. "That's the waiter," he said. "He'll be right over." I assume he was taking care of a call-in order.

Last Sunday, chef Zeb Stevenson was preparing his Last Supper, though it wasn't really a last supper by any strict definition of the term. It wasn't a solemn occasion, nothing with an air of finality. Rather, it was a dinner to celebrate the upcoming end to his tenure with Livingston and Proof & Provision, and the yet-to-be-determined new things to come for restaurant and chef alike. It was a chance also to look back, as far back as childhood, to host the kind of meal that he wishes more meals could be like - a gathering of friends, a communal sharing of food. The mere two dozen tickets had gone quickly, everyone there eager to break bread together. As Stevenson said, "looking back, my best meals were always the ones where everyone was laughing and enjoying the company. That's what matters most."

The news sparked an outcry from loyal customers and neighbors, but nothing could be done. The landlord has different plans for the property and decided not to renew Aurora's lease.
This Saturday, a regular customer walked into the java joint, ordered a coffee, and nonchalantly chained himself outside the location in quiet protest. It wasn't a publicity stunt, Aurora's reps tell us.
"This was definitely not planned," says Philip Frobos, Aurora's marketing manager and lead barista. "It was sweet of him to do it though!"